Argumentive

English 101
March 21, 2013 In the story the Hunter’s in the Snow, the three protagonists were bickering throughout the entire morning. One of the main characters, Tub, shot his friend Kenny due to reflex, after Kenny had shot a dog in the head. Kenny had provoked Tub, with what most would consider an idle threat, however Tub had responded by shooting his friend in the stomach. Some might argue that Tub’s reaction was justified due to Kenny’s earlier recklessness; this suggestion is not accurate because if we all responded to threats in this matter no one would be alive. Tub has been hunting before so he knew that the shot in the stomach would make him suffer. He got sick of being picked on and feeling excluded and with the constant power struggle between all three of them, Kenny of course being no longer on top. They stopped to warm their hands and left Kenny in the car to freeze. And again to eat pancakes Tub said, “I’ve never been so full,” meaning being satisfied about shooting Kenny.
Frank is the instigator for Tub. Followed Kenny around before he was shot, then after Tub shot him, Frank apologized for picking on Tub and stopped for food and coffee. Frank was the new “leader” even though Kenny was still rolling around in the back. After they left the coffee shop Frank forgot the directions on the table but told Tub he “remembered” them pretty good.
Kenny was the “alpha male” of the group and made Tub the center of his jokes. In the story Tub says that Kenny “made” him do it. When Tub and Frank saw that Kenny was out of the truck they flung him back in like a dead deer.
The farmer didn’t care about Tub shooting Kenny; he had no bandages, or a flashlight for them to see. Instead of giving Tub and Frank directions fifty miles to a hospital the farmer should have brought them. Even though he wasn’t involved with the men before the shooting, he did only tell Kenny it was okay to shoot his dog while Tub and Frank didn’t know.
Although Kenny had provoked Tub it doesn’t justify Tub shooting Kenny. All these characters contributed and played a role in Kenny’s murder, by calling it self-defense it would be unjust. In the end of the story they didn’t just take a wrong turn from the hospital but, a different turn away from being human beings, and toward being no better than animals.